Heritage > British Castles

Framlingham Castle

The new castle that arose at Framlingham around the turn of the 12th century, after the original structure had been destroyed by Henry II, incorporated at state-of-the-art technique called en-ceinte, whereby the defensive emphasis switched away from the keep and towards the curtain walls and perimeter towers; this can clearly be seen today, even though the castle is in ruins.

After the death of Edward VI, it was at Framlingham in 1553 that his sister, Mary Tudor spent an interminable summer behind the thick medieval walls of Framlingham Castle, waiting to hear whether she or Lady Jane Grey had been declared Queen. In the meantime, thousands of her loyal supporters camped outside, ready to champion her claim to the throne.

One wonders what Hugh Bigod, who built Framlingham in the twelfth century, would have thought if he knew his castle was to be used to protect royalty. For he was in constant rebellion against his King, Henry II. And his descendents carried on the habit: Roger, his son, fell out with King John, and the last Bigod refused to go to Gascony to fight for King Edward I.

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